Eastern Man Alone

An unjustly overlooked figure in the development of free jazz, Charles Tyler is best known as a sideman to the legendary Albert Ayler. Tyler had blown alto on Ayler’s *Bells and Spirits Rejoice* and had already cut a solo disc for ESP Records by the time he hooked up with cellist David Baker to cut *Eastern Man Alone* in the spring of 1967. There are elements of Tyler’s work with Ayler here; for one, Tyler\'s braying, insistent tone is similar to Ayler’s. And like Ayler, Tyler adapts simple folk melodies into grand fanfares that he proceeds to tear apart from the inside with atonality and dissonance. But there the similarities end; Tyler doesn’t trade in Ayler’s grandiose spirituality. If Ayler blew annunciations fit for the coming of a new messiah, Tyler announced the coming of more quotidian things, like the A train, the dope man, or Saturday night. This earthiness makes *Eastern Man Alone* a nice grimy counterpoint to Ayler. Along with the simultaneously reissued *On the Watch* by Sonny Simmons, it\'s one of the better early ESP jazz titles. 

This 1967 recording by the avant-garde saxophonist -- his second for ESP-Disk' -- features Tyler on alto sax with accompaniment from David Baker (cello), Brent McKesson (bass) and Kent Brinkley (bass). The album starts out with 'Cha-Lacy's Out East' which revisits a theme from his first album as leader, (ESP 1029 Charles Tyler Ensemble). The proceedings are heady free-form avant-jazz, reaching into cosmic realms with it's string-heavy backing providing soaring atmospheres. Tyler cut legendary records as a sideman to Albert Ayler (ESP 1010 Bells, ESP 1020 Spirits Rejoice), but as a leader, proves to be one of the most advanced, challenging, and exploratory players of the late '60s avant-garde. Newly remastered with original artwork & liner notes by Clifford Allen. Personnel: Charles Tyler: alto saxophone David Baker: cello Kent Brinkley: bass Brent McKesson: bass